About us

Oriental Dance or “Belly Dance” is a popular form of entertainment, recreation, arts, and sports. Historically, the dance tradition is associated with the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Nowadays, it is danced around the globe both at social gatherings and on stage, both by professionals and amateurs, both improvised and choreographed. Its characteristic features, with regard to local variations, include articulated movements and isolations of the hips, torso, arms, hands, and head.

The Estonian Chamber of Oriental Dance (ECOD) was founded in 2017 with the aim to promote the art of Oriental Dance and Oriental Dance education.

ECOD’s main activity is organising the International Oriental Dance Festival in Estonia and the annual concert of Estonian Oriental Dance enthusiasts.

History

In October 2016, Estonia celebrated the anniversary of Pille Roosi – one of Estonia’s best known dance teachers and choreographers, as well as the 20th anniversary of oriental dance in Estonia. Pille Roosi’s life’s work has been introducing oriental dance or belly dance into the Estonian dance field. She was the first to start teaching oriental dance in Estonia in 1996, until then oriental dance had been virtually unknown here. The majority of Estonian belly dancers have learned under her guidance. Pille Roosi is the initiatior and had been the main organiser of the International Oriental Dance Festival in Estonia. Shortly after the jubilee concert, Pille handed over her former work with organising the International Oriental Dance Festival in Estonia and the annual concert of Estonian oriental dance enthusiasts, to her students and main organisers of the jubilee concert. For this purpose this group of dancers and friends founded the Estonian Chamber of Oriental Dance in January 2017.